


Newcomers

by MyriahKamm



Category: Free!
Genre: Drabble Collection, Fluff, M/M, NitoRei, abuse mention, hints of MakoMiko RinHaru and NagiGou
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-05
Updated: 2014-10-15
Packaged: 2018-02-03 11:55:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1743821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyriahKamm/pseuds/MyriahKamm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It all starts when Rei Ryugazaki and Aiichirou Nitori find themselves lost in a part of Iwatobi they're not familiar with. From there begins a relationship shared by the two teens who once felt like outsiders.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In Which Ai and Rei Find Themselves Lost

**Author's Note:**

> NitoRei is a ship that doesn't get nearly enough love, so I started some drabbles over on Tumblr. Consolidating them here to share with other NitoRei fans. =3

Neither of them knows quite how it happened, but Rei Ryugazaki and Aiichirou Nitori are stranded in a part of Iwatobi they don’t know, alone, with only an extremely complicated map between them by way of supplies.

Ai watches the azure-haired teen studying the map. They’re sitting on a park bench trying to figure out where the heck to go to meet the rest of their friends. Nanase-san was excited about some new pool opening and insisted that they all go, but Ryugazaki-san and Ai were cleaning up the locker room after an unfortunate shampoo incident, so they offered to meet up with the rest of them later. Ryugazaki-san bragged that he’d get them there in no time.

But that was almost an hour ago.

"This map makes absolutely no sense," the bluenette mutters, adjusting his glasses. "Can you help me figure out where we are, Nitori-san?"

"I won’t be much help, Ryugazaki-san," Ai says with a frown, toeing the ground. "Maps and I don’t get along, really."

Ryugazaki-san looks at Ai, the corners of his mouth quirking up in a smile.

"That was quite clever," he praises Ai, making the latter blush.

"Maybe we should just give up." Ai kicks up some dirt around the feet of the bench. "If I’m completely honest, I sort of feel like…like a fifth wheel around Rin-senpai and his friends."

"I concur. Although I care about my teammates, I feel as though there’s quite a bit of history I still don’t understand between them and Rin-san."

"They probably won’t even notice we’re not there."

Ryugazaki-san sets the map aside and touches Ai’s arm lightly. “You really should think better of yourself. Don’t let Rin-san’s seeming ignorance of you influence how you feel about yourself. He just doesn’t know how to express his appreciation to you.”

Ai is only half paying attention, though. He’s far more focused on the hand on his arm, the fingers wrapped loosely around it. Ai hasn’t really had this sort of gentle, caring physical contact from many people. His mother is really the only one who has ever…

He flinches when Ryugazaki-san lifts a hand to his face. The bluenette’s thumb wipes away a tear Ai hadn’t even felt falling. He looks into Ryugazaki-san’s eyes in shock.

"This is about more than Rin-san, isn’t it?" Ryugazaki-san asks softly.

Ai nods slowly as more tears roll down his cheeks. He’s never talked to anyone about it. No one has ever really cared, ever really  __ asked  _ _ about it until now.

"I don’t want to overstep my bounds, but…would a hug help?"

Ai nods again. He feels Ryugazaki-san’s strong arms fold their way around his shoulders. For once in his life, Ai feels really, truly safe. He presses his forehead against Ryugazaki-san’s chest while he tries to fight back his tears.

Ryugazaki-san just holds him like that for a while. Ai loses track of time. He  __ does  _ _ notice when the sky begins to darken, though. He pulls back from the embrace and wipes his eyes roughly.

"I’m sorry, Ryugazaki-san," he murmurs, sniffling.

"Don’t be. And call me Rei." The azure-haired teen smiles. "Now that we’ve shared half an hour of tears, I think we can consider ourselves friends at the very least, right?"

Ai stares at him. When he notices the droplets of water on the inside of Ryugazaki-san’s—no, Rei’s—glasses, his eyes widen.

"…why were  __ you  _ _ crying?” he whispers.

"Seeing someone as beautiful as you crying was…painful," Rei replies, a slight blush creeping into his cheeks.

"…R…Rei…"

"Can I walk you back to Samezuka Academy?"

When Ai nods, Rei pulls him to his feet and the two of them head out of the park hand in hand.

 


	2. In Which Rin Sets Ai and Rei Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin helps Ai get the ball rolling with Rei by giving him Rei's number.

"What do you know about him, Rin-senpai?"

"Know about Rei? Huh. Well, I know he’s obsessed with beauty. I know he cares a lot about his teammates; he doesn’t want to hold them back and he wants them all to be happy." Rin-senpai continues doing sit-ups as he talks, with Ai holding his feet to help keep him stationery on the bed. "I don’t know a whole lot about him beyond that, though."

When Rin-senpai finishes the set of 100 sit-ups, Ai offers him a small towel to wipe the sweat from his face. Rin-senpai’s eyebrow quirks upward as he looks at his kouhai.

"Why the sudden interest in Rei?" he asks. "What did you guys do yesterday instead of meeting up with us?"

"I already told you, senpai, we got lost."

"But what did you __do__ while you were lost?”

Ai’s cheeks grew hot. “It’s not like we did anything improper or anything like that! We just talked a little bit.”

Rin-senpai smiles a knowing smile. He ruffles Ai’s hair before getting up off the bed and heading over to his desk. Grabbing a pen, he scribbles something down onto a sticky note that he then brings over to Ai and slips into his hand.

"That’s his number," Rin-senpai explains, flashing a sharp-toothed grin. "Give him a call."

"W-w-what?" Ai stammers, shaking his head, even as he holds the sticky note as though it’s a sacred relic or something. "I-I can’t do that, senpai! It would only be right if Rei gave me his number on his own, and he hasn’t done that, and I wouldn’t want to do anything to ruin the potential friendship we might have, because he’s so kind and he just seems to __get me__ more than anyone else, and—”

"Jeeze, Ai, take a breath!" Rin-senpai touches his shoulders firmly to help ground him. "One thing I __can__ tell you about Rei is that I’ve honestly never seen him look happier than when he brought you back here last night. I think it’s going to take a lot to make him stop liking you.” He chuckles softly. “If you don’t feel comfortable calling him, shoot him a text and ask permission. I’m sure he won’t mind that.”

With shaking fingers, Ai pulls out his phone and types the number into it, saving Rei’s contact information. Then he opens a text box and stares at the screen. What should he say? Should he confess? No, no, no, that would be a __huge__ mistake. It was __way__ too soon for something like that. He should probably just say something simple. He eventually settles on:

[ ** **To: Rei**** ]

_Hi Rei, this is Nitori Aiichirou. Rin-senpai gave me your number. Is that okay?_

And then he hits send.

Each passing second is more agony than the one before it. Anxiety fills him. Did he say something wrong? Should he not have sent Rei a text in the first place? He nearly jumps out of his skin when his phone vibrates, indicating a response. He opens the message.

[ ** **From: Rei**** ]

_Of course! I’ve been hitting myself for not asking for yours last night. Do you mind if I call you Aiichirou?_

Ai grins and knows Rin-senpai can see his eyes lighting up. He types a quick reply.

[ ** **To: Rei**** ]

_That would make me very happy! Thank you, Rei!_

Almost immediately, he receives another response.

[ ** **From: Rei**** ]

_What are you doing this afternoon? Would you like to hang out?_

A squeak of excitement escapes Ai’s lips.

[ ** **To: Rei**** ]

_I’m not busy at all! Did you have anything in mind?_

[ ** **From: Rei**** ]

_I’ll come pick you up and we’ll figure things out from there. See you soon!_

Fifteen minutes later, Ai answers the knock at the door to see Rei standing there with an affectionate smile. Rin-senpai is at Ai’s back a moment later.

"Make sure you have him back by curfew, Speedo Megane," Rin-senpai orders with a smirk.

"Honestly, Rin-san," Rei responds, rolling his eyes. Then he smiles mischievously. "I’ll keep him out as long as I like."

As Rei takes Ai’s hand and leads him out of the dormitory, Ai wonders absently if they’re already dating and he doesn’t already know it.


	3. In Which Ai and Rei Reflect on Their Relationship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The others notice that Ai and Rei are changing for the better since they started dating. Even IF they're a little annoying sometimes.

It’s been two months since they’ve started dating, and their friends have all noticed a drastic change in __both__ their moods. A drastic change for the better, much to their delight.

It’s most obvious with Ai. He’s gained a heck of a lot of confidence since he and Rei started seeing each other. His grades have improved dramatically, Rin has noticed, as has his swimming. His times are increasing gradually and his form is looking better and better. And he’s just more confident overall, in every aspect of his life. He talks more to his peers and even to Rin, seeming less anxious about saying something wrong or being annoying.

With Rei, it’s a much more subtle change. Nagisa notices it first. Rei seems much more focused than he had before, and he’d already been pretty darn focused to begin with. He’s matured pretty quickly, in Makoto’s opinion. He seems much less like a young, rash teenager and much more like a maturing young man. He’s a lot more focused on being a strong, confident friend, and much more willing to just out and say something rather than keep it bottled up inside as he’d done before. For Haruka’s part, he’s noticed that Rei seems quite a lot happier than he was before.

Of course, that doesn’t mean all their friends are completely thrilled about their relationship one-hundred percent of the time.

Like when they steal kisses during joint practices, thinking no one can see them. Once or twice, this has led to an intense make-out session that basically caused both of them to forget about practice altogether.

Or when they forget about other plans with their friends because they lose track of time talking to each other about who knows what.

Or when Rin walks in on them making out in his and Ai’s dorm room. That’s happened way too many times to even count.

Rei and Ai both know the others occasionally find these things annoying, but they can’t bring themselves to stop. Ai has told Rin a couple of times that he can consider it payback for all the times he walked in on Rin and Haruka doing less-than-modest things in their room. And Rei keeps reminding Makoto and Nagisa that they’ve each been less than chaste when Seijuro and Gou are around, respectively.

These defenses usually keep the others at bay. Usually.

"Maybe we should tone it down," Ai suggests one night. The two of them are sitting at Rei’s desk doing homework side-by-side.

"Tone it down?" Rei mutters with a frown.

"Just a little bit. I feel like we’re really annoying everyone else. I mean, I was always a little annoyed when I would get back to my dorm to see Rin-senpai and Nanase-san…well. You know."

Rei looks at him. “Did you walk in on them actually…doing it?”

"Well…I didn’t actually __see__ anything, but they were both under the covers on Rin-senpai’s bed,” Ai responds, his cheeks flushing.

"I suppose you’re probably right. We should tone things down when we’re around the others. We could save the intimacy for whenever we’re here." Setting his book aside, Rei took one of Ai’s hands. "But can we start…y’know…doing more?"

Ai worries his bottom lip. He __wants__ to be more intimate with Rei, but the thought makes him a bit anxious. It’s not an issue of trust. He trusts Rei. He trusts Rei a __lot__. But…

"Um…maybe in a little while," he says slowly, rubbing his upper arm anxiously. "I just…I’m not really sure if…I’m ready yet." He winces. That anxiety he hasn’t really felt in months is starting to resurface. "I…I understand if you don’t want to keep seeing me because I’m not ready. I get it if you don’t want to waste your time with me anymore."

"Hey." Rei takes Ai’s face in his hands and looks him in the eye. "Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t want you to do something you’re not ready for. I’m not going to dump you for something like that. I’m not that shallow."

Ai smiles a bit. “Yeah. I know that. I just…I get anxious about this kind of thing.”

"We won’t do anything until you’re ready," Rei assures him with a smile. He pulls Ai into a hug. "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

"It’s okay. Could you just hold me for a while?"

"Sure, if that’s what you want."

Ai snuggles into his boyfriend’s embrace. Neither of them gets much more homework done that night.


	4. In Which Ai and Rei Spend Time at the Culture Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ai puts on a maid outfit for Samezuka Academy's Culture Festival and worries about what Rei will think. (As if he needs to worry.)

Ai feels really stupid for being so anxious. But he can't really stop himself. Who knew Samezuka Academy's Culture Festival would be such a source of anxiety for him?

It isn't exactly the fact that he has to wear a maid uniform. That  __ might _ _ bother him, except that Rin-senpai has to do it, too, so Ai doesn't feel so alone about it. No, what  __ really  _ _ worries him about the festival is that friends and family might show up to it.

__ Rei  _ _ might be there.  __ Rei  _ _ might see him in a maid outfit!

He feels his cheeks grow warm at the realization. What would Rei even  __ say  _ _ if he sees him like this? Ai wants to just run and hide as he thinks about it. He nearly jumps out of his skin when Rin-senpai claps him on the shoulder.

"Well, you ready, Ai?"

Ai rubs the back of his neck anxiously. Rin just chuckles, ruffling his hair.

"Don't worry," he tells him with a grin. "Rei's gonna love it."

With Ai's confidence bolstered, the two of them make their way to the maid cafe and begin serving customers. It doesn't take long for Ai to fall into a rhythm of smiling, brief chatting, and serving tea and cakes to the patrons of their little maid cafe. He doesn't even notice when Rei sits down at one of the tables he's responsible for until he's there offering him a smile.

"R-Rei!"

"Do you have any free time?" the bluenette asks him softly.

Rin pops over almost immediately and throws an arm around Ai's shoulders. "Go ahead, kiddo. I'll cover for you."

Ai murmurs his thanks and follows Rei out of the room. They walk around the festival for a while. Rei buys Ai a treat or two, and Ai manages to win Rei a stuffed bear from a carnival game. The two of them finally manage to slip away from all of the commotion for a walk through a nearby park.

"Today's been nice," Ai says as he and Rei sit down side-by-side on a bench. "Like a real date."

"We can do this more often, if you'd like."

"Yeah. I would."

Ai wrings his hands. He needs to talk to Rei about this. Things are getting really serious now, so he need to talk about it. Otherwise...

He flinches when he feels Rei's lips against his cheek. He glances at Rei, who looks a little hurt but offers him a reassuring smile anyway. Gosh, Ai has to talk to him. He has to get past this whole flinching thing. He has to get past this.

"Rei, there's something I need to--"

He stops short when Rin-senpai runs over, panting a bit. He's still in his maid outfit, which makes the whole scene a little bit comical.

"There you are!" Rin-senpai exclaims, standing with his hands on his hips, adding to his amusing appearance. "Mikoshiba has been yelling at me for half an hour to try to find you. Time to get back to work, Ai."

"Y-yeah, okay." Ai stands up and brushes off his own maid uniform. "I had a lovely time, Rei."

"Me too." Rei stands, as well, and leans down to press a gentle kiss to Ai's lips. "Why don't you come over to my place tomorrow? You can tell me whatever you've got to tell me then, okay?"

"Okay," he whispers, smiling anxiously. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Rei gives Rin-senpai a nod, smiles again at Ai, and hugs the stuffed bear close for a moment. Then he heads off down the path out of the park. Ai and Rin-senpai start back toward the school.

"So, things are getting pretty serious between you two, huh?" the redhead asks, glancing at Ai.

"Yeah." Ai worries his bottom lip. "Yeah, pretty serious."

Now he just has to figure out how the heck to tell Rei what he needs to tell him.

 


	5. In Which Ai Tells Rei a Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ai finally works up the courage to tell Rei his secret, gosh darn the consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (WARNING this chapter is significantly more serious (and slightly more depressing) than previous ones, although there's still some fluff in there. tw: abuse)

Ai has been pacing outside of Rei's apartment for almost an hour now. He can't seem to work up the courage to actually knock on the door. The moment he does, he knows Rei will answer with that perfect smile and he'll lose his nerve.

But he _has_ to tell Rei about it. And it _has_ to be today, before things get any more serious between them.

Taking a deep breath, he knocks on the door. It takes mere seconds for Rei to open the door and, sure enough, flash an affectionate smile at Ai. The silver-haired boy fidgets uneasily, returning the smile. He wrings the bottom of his shirt in his hand.

"Come on in."

Rei steps back, and Ai enters the apartment. Before he can go very far, Rei's arms are wrapped around him, and Ai fights the urge to tense in his embrace. He silently curses himself for being so jumpy.

"We need to talk, Rei," he whispers into his chest.

Pulling back a bit, Rei frowns. "Few conversations between significant others that start with 'we need to talk' end well."

Ai's vision blurs as his eyes fill with tears. What if Rei dumps him when he finds out? He doesn't think he can handle that. He wraps his arms around himself, taking a deep breath to hold back the tears, to keep them from rolling in streams down his cheeks.

"Hey." Rei's fingertips brush his arm, but the bluenette pulls back immediately when Ai flinches. "It's okay, Ai. Let's go sit down on the bed, and then we can talk, all right?"

The walk across the apartment to the bed is the longest walk of Ai's life. His legs are trembling the entire way, leading him to collapse onto the bed shakily once he reaches it. He bunches the fabric of his pants in his hands, chewing his lip anxiously. Rei sits down next to him, but allows a bit of space between them. He must be noticing that Ai needs it right now.

"Whenever you're ready," Rei tells him softly, "I'll just listen, okay?"

Ai takes a deep breath. He needs to do this. He needs to get this off his chest.

"I...I was dating someone the summer before I started high school," he begins slowly, his fists clenching tighter around his pants. "It started out fine, but he...he started getting really angry all the time about little things. At first he would just yell at me a lot, but then he...he started..."

He takes another deep breath and releases it. His hands relax, but it's not out of security. No, he's more anxious than ever, he's just sort of given up at this point.

"...he started hitting me," Ai murmurs, his hands now setting limp on his thighs. He stares at the sheets in front of him, next to Rei's leg. "The first time was the only time he left visible bruises. After that, he didn't hit my face anymore, but he mostly hit places people wouldn't notice, like my stomach or thighs." Tears fill his eyes again; he sniffles a bit. "I...I ended things when he...scarred me."

He hears Rei take in a sharp breath. He glances up to see a look of confusion cross the _megane's_ face.

"I've seen you in nothing but a speedo several times," Rei says slowly, shaking his head. "I've never seen a scar anywhere on you. What do you mean he......"

Rei trails off, a look of realization crossing his features before he frowns.

"...oh, Ai..."

"I...I just...really like you..." Ai whimpers as the tears spill forth. He can't hold them back anymore. He wraps his arms around himself once more, his fingers digging into his sides as he struggles to contain his own emotions. "...and I'm...really worried...that you won't like me anymore...because I'm...I'm damaged goods...I'm...pathetic...and I'm not beautiful..."

He starts sobbing, his hands releasing his sides to cover his face. For a few minutes, that's all that happens: Ai sitting there sobbing while Rei presumably just watches. And Ai is certain that Rei's just going to ask him to leave and that will be it.

Which is why he's completely shocked when he feel's Rei's hand on the top of his head.

"May I hug you, Ai?" the bluenette asks softly.

The fact that he's even _asking_ is...is just perfect. It proves that Rei understands why Ai had to tell him all of this. It proves that he understands _Ai_. He nods; when Rei's arms encircle him, he slips his arms around his boyfriend's torso, clinging to him tightly, and buries his face in Rei's chest.

"You _are_ beautiful," Rei whispers in his ear. "I love you, Ai. And the fact that some jerk hurt you in the past...that's not going to make me stop. No matter what."

Ai looks up at him, his tears momentarily forgotten. He sniffles and hiccups, blue eyes widening the slightest bit as they meet Rei's violet ones.

"...y-you...love me?"

Rei smiles one of those amazing smiles that reaches his eyes, somehow making them that much warmer and more fathomless.

"Yeah, I do," he admits, resting his forehead against Ai's. "And we don't have to do anything more than kiss until you're ready, all right?"

Ai hugs him more tightly, smiling himself. "O-okay. Thanks, Rei. And...don't tell anyone else about this...okay?"

"Sure thing." Rei's lips brush his forehead in a feathery kiss. "Would you mind if I just hold you for a while? I want you to feel safe with me."

"I'd like that."

As Ai sits there in Rei's embrace, he knows he loves Rei, too. But he doesn't think he can bring himself to say it just yet.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I feel really badly for doing this to Ai, and now I just want to hug him forever. I'm so sorry.)


	6. In Which Rei Defends Ai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ai runs into his ex at the park.

It's been a week since Ai told Rei about his abusive ex boyfriend. Rei has been incredibly supportive the entire time, taking everything slowly and being sure to ask Ai if something intimate is all right before proceeding. Ai never imagined finding someone who understands him so well.

Of course, as usually happens, the minute something starts going _right_ in his life, something else comes up to threaten his happiness.

He's waiting on a bench at the park for Rei to get back. Rei left minutes ago to get them both some drinks, so Ai is waiting patiently while looking out across the koi pond. It really is a peaceful view, with hues cast by the setting sun playing beautifully over the placid water. Rei will love it once he gets back with their drinks, Ai thinks with a smile. The perfect end to a perfect day.

He doesn't notice that he's not quite along until the guy standing next to the bench clears his throat loudly. When Ai looks up and realizes who it is, he nearly falls off the side of the bench. Somehow, he manages to keep his cool, glancing in the direction Rei went in hopes of seeing him on his way back.

No such luck.

"Fancy running into you here, Aiichirou," his ex says with a smirk. There are plenty of things about him Ai neglected to tell Rei, such as the fact that he's going to university now. He's significantly taller and more muscular than Ai is, which in itself is enough to make him nervous.

"...hi, Tatsuo."

The tall green-haired man sits down next to Ai and slips an arm around his shoulders. Ai swallows thickly, tensing at the sudden closeness of his former tormentor. He hopes Rei will get back soon. He doesn't know how long he'll be able to handle this.

"I don't suppose you're free this evening?" Tatsuo asks, his hand squeezing Ai's shoulder. "We should hang out and catch up."

"...I...uh...I'm actually..."

"Excuse me."

Rei's voice is a godsend at that moment. Ai makes to stand, but Tatsuo keeps a firm hand on his shoulder to keep him seated on the bench.

"Would you mind letting go of my boyfriend?" Rei asks genially. Ai can see suspicion in his eyes, though. Rei must be able to tell that something's wrong.

"Boyfriend?" Tatsuo laughs. "Oh, that's rich. Seriously? Why would you date this pathetic loser?"

"...I...I'm not pathetic," Ai murmurs. Tatsuo's grip loosens in his surprise, and Ai manages to wrench himself away, moving to Rei's side.

"I'll bet you just haven't told him yet, have you?" the green-haired man says, standing up as well. He cracks his neck. "I really ruined you, didn't I, Aiichirou?"

Before Ai can respond, Rei takes a step toward Tatsuo and throws a punch. Tatsuo clearly doesn't expect it, as Rei's fist connects solidly with his nose. He staggers back, blood immediately beginning to drip from his obviously-broken nose before he clutches his face in agony.

"C'mon, Ai," Rei says firmly, wrapping a reassuring arm around Ai's shoulders. They head out of the park and don't stop walking until they reach Samezuka Academy. Ai leads Rei to his room and inside. Rin-senpai isn't there at the moment, so Rei pulls Rin-senpai's desk chair over to Ai's desk so they can sit down next to each other.

Surprisingly, Ai isn't as much of an emotional mess that he thought he'd be after seeing Tatsuo again. Before meeting Rei, before telling Rei about his past, he thought he would either cave and go back to Tatsuo or possibly have a mental break down if he saw him again. At the moment, though, he doesn't feel out of sorts or upset or anxious at all, really. He doesn't even flinch when Rei touches his arm.

"I'm sorry I had to resort to violence like that," the bluenette says softly.

"No, I...I'm actually kind of glad you did," Ai admits with a small smile. "I didn't know you had anything like that in you."

"I'll defend my boyfriend to the death." Rei kisses Ai's forehead. "Are you all right?"

"As long as you're with me? Always."

They share a light kiss before the door opens and Rin-senpai comes in. He rolls his eyes a bit.

"Again, you two?" he mutters, wiping a hand over his face. "Weren't you supposed to be at the park until late?"

"We ran into an unexpected hurdle," Rei replies, glancing at Ai. His eyes are asking for permission; is he allowed to talk about Ai's ex?

"...my ex-boyfriend, Tatsuo Tanaka, showed up," Ai says slowly, looking at Rin. "We ended things on bad terms, so it wasn't exactly the best coincidence."

"I didn't know you had an ex," Rin-senpai responds, stretching. "Bad terms as in I should be worried if he shows up around here?"

Ai nods slowly. When Rei touches his shoulder, Ai shoots him a sidelong glance and nods again.

"He hurt Ai," his boyfriend tells Rin-senpai. "Pretty badly. So yeah, it would be bad if he showed up, although I don't think he will."

Rin-senpai raises an eyebrow.

"Rei broke his nose." Ai can't stop himself from smiling. He's just so absurdly _happy_ that his boyfriend cares enough about him to defend him so recklessly.

"On the off chance he _does_ show up, though, he's about Makoto-senpai's height with green hair and gold eyes," Rei explains.

"All right." Rin-senpai nods, heading over to his bed and flopping down on it. "And, Ai, you'd better tell me if he tries anything. Rei and I will take him on together if he can't take a hint." He yawns animatedly. "You can stay here tonight if you want, Rei."

"Yeah, I think I will."

His arms find their way around Ai, and Ai is amazed that it doesn't make him as nervous as it used to. Is it because Rei stood up to Tatsuo? He decides he doesn't really care; he's just glad he can relax. He snuggles into Rei's embrace.

"I love you, Rei," he murmurs into his chest.

"I know," Rei responds. "Glad you can finally admit it."

"Say, if you two plan on having sex, please tell me before hand so I can try to convince the Captain to let me stay with him," Rin mutters half-jokingly.

It effectively spoils the mood, but Ai's sort of okay with that. He would much rather do something like that at Rei's place, anyway. There's _far_ less of a chance of being interrupted there.

And Ai is pretty sure he's ready for that next step with Rei.

 


	7. In Which Ai Shares Himself With Rei

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ai decides he's ready to take the next step with Rei, which means showing Rei his scars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly nsfw due to nudity and mentions of abuse.

Aiichirou is sitting on Rei's bed, waiting for the  _megane_  to return to the bedroom. He's been preparing himself for this for almost three weeks, now. That's how long it's been since he and Rei ran into Tatsuo. That's how long it's been since Rei stood up for Ai.

Rei comes back into the room with two large glasses of water. He hands one to Ai before sitting down next to him on the bed. Taking a sip, Ai stares into his water glass for a few minutes in silence.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Ai?" Rei asks softly, setting his glass aside and touching his arm gently. "We don't have to, you know."

"I know. But I  _want_  to. I want to share myself with you." Ai takes another gulp of water before setting his glass aside, too.

Rei smiles at him, planting a gentle kiss on his lips. They both take off their shirts; that's nothing new to either of them, since they're both swimmers and have seen each other in practically nothing already. Ai decided before he even got to Rei's apartment that he would strip first so he didn't lose his nerve.

Swallowing thickly, he pulls off his pants and then his underwear, setting them on the floor next to the bed. He clutches his arm, feeling awkward and uneasy. A line of long, parallel scars adorns his right upper thigh, generally covered by the trunks he wears while swimming. The most glaring scar, though, is one that runs from the vertical center of his left hip bone down through the sparse silver pubic hair and across the base of his penis. He feels incredibly self-conscious about it, even now, even in front of Rei.

Ai can feel Rei's eyes on him. He doesn't really know how to react at the moment, or even what to say. He feels more awkward than he has in a long time. After a few minutes, Rei touches his hand, intertwining their fingers.

"I was expecting worse," Rei admits quietly. "Does...does it ever hurt?"

"N-no, not really," Ai responds, blushing a bit. "A-actually...I don't really have a lot of feeling there most of the time. Some nerves got damaged when it happened."

"May I touch them?"

Ai's blush deepens. He toes the ground anxiously, but nods slowly. When Rei touched the scars on his thigh, Ai tenses; he quickly relaxes when the touch remains light, Rei's fingertips barely skating over the scars. The touch is gentle, comforting. His fingertips trace the scars almost as though they're a work of art. When Rei moves on to the scar at Ai's groin, his touch is impossibly gentler, impossibly  _loving_. Rei looks up to meet his eyes, tears filling his own.

"I can't believe anyone would want to hurt you like this," the bluenette murmurs.

"He did it to...to control me," Ai replies, shaking his head. "He said...no one would want me as long as I have these scars. That scar in particular."

"That's incredibly illogical," Rei affirms, planting the lightest of kisses to the edge of the scar, on Ai's hip bone. "Only a fool would stop loving you over something as trivial as a few scars."

"You mean...you don't mind?"

"Of course not." Rei straightens up and kisses Ai's forehead. "I love you, Aiichirou. I already knew you were scarred and, like I said, I was expecting worse. Nothing--not this, not  _anything_ \--is going to make me love you any less."

Ai smiles, hugging Rei suddenly. He knows it was silly to expect Rei to want to leave him or something. But knowing that Rei still cares, knowing that Rei still  _wants_  him, is a huge relief.

"I love you too, Rei," he murmurs, nuzzling into the bluenette's chest.

"I appreciate you sharing this part of yourself with me." Rei's fingers return to tracing their way along the scar at Ai's groin. "I was wondering...does this mean you're ready to have intercourse with me?"

Laughter bubbles up from within Aiichirou to flood the room around them. Only Rei would phrase it that way. He nuzzles into his boyfriend's chest again.

"I trust you, Rei, so yes," he says with a nod.

Rei's fingers slide beneath Ai's chin, urging him to look up. They kiss slowly, hands finding gentle purchase on hips and shoulders. They lie down in Rei's bed and one thing leads to another.

The next thing Ai knows, he's waking up the next morning wrapped in Rei's arms, body pressed back against the  _megane's_. They've slept like this before, spooning against one another, just not usually in the nude. If it was anyone else, Ai would probably be worried. But not with Rei. He can hear Rei's deep, slow breaths in his ear, can feel the gentle rise and fall of the other's chest against his back.

_Still asleep, then,_  Ai muses.  _It's no wonder, after last night. You were very creative, Rei._

He snuggles into Rei's embrace, not wanting to wake him just yet. Honestly, he would be perfectly content just lying here in Rei's arms for the foreseeable future. For a long while, he does just that. This is such a huge difference from when he was dating Tatsuo. He's not terrified of this embrace, but calmed by it. He doesn't feel trapped, but instead feels the safest he's ever felt in his entire life.

Rei is definitely the best thing to ever happen to Ai.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For now, this is the end of this fic, unless I get requests relating to it. Thanks for reading! And thanks for supporting the rare pairs with me! =3

**Author's Note:**

> The chapters of this are kind of short because they're mostly drabbles from Tumblr. I'm all for suggestions for further chapters! I've got some ideas, but I'm always open to prompts. ;)


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